With prices going up, there are many people that would rather not pay for a domain name. They don't want to do this because usually they are running their website in addition to having a primary job, and don't really have the funds to pay for a domain name along with a mortgage, gas, food, and family expenses if they happen to have a family. So the question that so many people ask is "Can I register a domain name myself?" The answer of course, is yes, so long as you have the technical expertise in addition to the equipment to pull it off.
What you need to understand is that URL's (website addresses) aren't actually names. In reality they are numbers, such as: 122.122.666.122. So let's say that you want a website called "galoopaploop.com". That's all fine and good, because once you establish the website, it will be assigned a number, and people will be able to get to your website using that number. The next thing you have to do is purchase a domain name. If you get galoopaploop.com and have it hosted, and associated with the number of your site, then suddenly people will be able to get to it using that address.
That works just fine, but when people realize how expensive it can get for domain hosting, they once again begin asking "Can I register a domain name myself?". In order to do this, you would go to a website from which you can purchase domain names. Usually they aren't very expensive and will only cost about $20 per year so long as they're not some high profile domain name that everyone wants. Once you purchase your domain name you are free to do whatever you want with it.
To host your domain however, you need some expertise. You need to be able to set up some sort of server that will route people from that domain name, to the numbers that are assigned to your website on the internet. There are many people who cannot do this, and it cannot be explained in one single article. You'll need to figure out what sort of server you want as well. There are a few different types of server software packages out there, and the more popular one is Windows Server 2003. It is a bit expensive but it comes with all the tools you need to route a domain. If you are feeling adventurous, then you could always use Linux, which is a server operating system in itself. Linux is a bit cheaper than windows in that it's free of charge but more difficult to figure out. You could also opt to use a UNIX based operating system which can cost quite a bit more money, but if money is tight you can use FreeBSD which is based on UNIX and completely free.
You also need to keep in mind that when you ask the question: "Can I register a domain name myself?", you have to get an internet connection capable of handling the load. Therefore if you plan to have a lot of traffic to your website you are going to need a T1 line or better. If you try to do this on a residential line, your ISP is going to come after you with torches and pitchforks. Take it from someone who tried.
So yes, you can register a domain name yourself, but you need to be certain that you know what you're getting into, and be prepared for it!
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/David_Patullo/339765
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